Friendsgiving: Dorm Style!

Last November, my friends and I attempted what we thought would be an adorable, low-budget Friendsgiving in our dorm’s communal basement kitchen. It sounded efficient: more space, real stovetops, and at least the illusion that we knew what we were doing. In reality, it was a circus. We were mixing microwave mac and cheese for an hour to get the right consistency, creating sugary concoctions, and drinking way too much soda for all of the marshmallow fluff in our stomachs. 

We laughed our way through it, but the next morning? Every single one of us woke up feeling sick. Not dramatically sick, just the “my body is rejecting what I fed it” kind of sick. We realized maybe communal-kitchen cuisine and processed foods aren’t the best combination. However, the night taught us something important: you can have a great Friendsgiving in a dorm without overspending or poisoning your friends. You just need to be strategic.

If you can’t afford a fancy dinner or a curated spread but still want a night worth remembering, here’s exactly how to make it happen.

Potluck

Asking everyone to bring one dish is perfect for college budgets, but only if it’s organized. Dorm communal kitchens aren’t built for eight people cooking at once. Make a shared sign-up list and assign dishes based on how much and what type of real cooking they require. Someone who owns an air fryer gets appetizers. Someone with a microwave handles sides. The friend with a car picks up a pre-made main. And whoever can’t cook contributes drinks, bread, or dessert. If no one can cook, then you’re better off ordering in.

Your goal is to avoid five chaotic dishes fighting over one stovetop.

Outsource anything that needs real cooking

Learn from our mistake: anything involving raw meat, long baking times, or multiple steps should be purchased, not prepared. Grocery-store turkey breast, rotisserie chicken, ready-made mashed potatoes, premade pies, these are your dorm-life best friends.

Save dorm cooking for simple, safe dishes.

Choose your setting intentionally

Communal kitchens are great in theory, but they are unpredictable, busy, and not really meant for hosting. If you use them for prep, don’t host the meal in the kitchen; it’s awkward, people walk through, and you’ll have no space. Instead, move the finished dishes somewhere else:

• A separate dorm lounge is ideal: couches, tables, space to spread out.
  
• A study room (if you can reserve it) doubles as a private dining room.
  
• Outdoors, picnic-style works if the weather allows.
  
• Floor picnic is the classic backup: blankets, pillows, and a low-stress setup.

Keep the menu realistic

Dorm-friendly, no-fuss dishes are your safety net. Pasta bakes, salad kits, rolls, chips and dip, stuffing mixes, cookies, brownies, or anything from the Trader Joe’s freezer aisle. No one is expecting a Michelin-star turkey. 

Plan the cleanup before the feast

Bring trash bags, foil for leftovers, paper plates, and soap. Assign two people to start the cleanup as the food winds down, so you’re not all suffering the next morning.

Focus on the vibe, not the aesthetics

String lights, someone’s fall playlist, a candle if allowed, and the general chaos of college life create the atmosphere. The charm of a dorm Friendsgiving is that nothing is perfect, and that’s why it’s fun.

With a little planning, you can skip the sickness, skip the stress, and still end up with a night that feels warm, messy, and memorable.

Friendsgiving in college isn’t about perfection; it’s about making something meaningful out of what you have.

Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, watch us on TikTok, and read our latest Tweets!

• boston
• Boston University
• break
• BU
• college dorms
• dorm
• dorm life
• Dormstyle
• fall
• friends
• Friendsgiving
• thanksgiving
• vibes